The United States Congress amended the Lacey Act to include
a broader range of timber, plants, and wood and plant products
derived from illegally harvested plants. The Lacey Act also
makes it unlawful to import certain plants and plant products
to the US without an import declaration. Read more

In addition to protecting wildlife, the Lacey Act, as amended,
is an important new tool to combat illegal logging. The amendments
included in the 2008 Farm Bill will help United States to support
other countries, as well as their own States, with their efforts
to protect plant resources.

The Lacey Act makes it unlawful to import, export, transport, sell,
receive, acquire, or purchase in interstate or foreign commerce any
plant, with some limited exceptions, taken or traded in violation
of the laws of a U.S. State and most foreign laws.

The amended Lacey Act also introduces the requirement for a
"plant import declaration". The scope of the declaration requirement
has potentially broad applicability covering products from lumber
and wood pulp to sporting goods, pharmaceuticals, and other
products.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and other
Federal agencies involved in enforcing the provisions in the
Act are working together to phase in enforcement of the new
declaration requirements beginning April
1, 2009, or as soon thereafter as an electronic
data collection system is available to collect the information.
The initial focus will be on products most closely linked to
illegal logging.

When enforced, the declaration will require information on the country where the plant material
(wood) was harvested, and the genus and species; the declaration does not require information
on legality.